Official Press Release – San Diego, CA – The critically-acclaimed and bestselling author of World War Z, the Zombie Survival Guide and The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks brings his unique and acclaimed style to G.I. JOE comics with a five-issue miniseries: G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds, coming in May under license from Hasbro. The award-winning Max Brooks crafts a G.I. JOE series for an America at war, starkly contrasting intensely brutal portrayals of the dark side of the human condition with the light of hope in the most unlikely places.

“I tried to write a series as harsh and complicated as the times we’re living in,” said Brooks.

Exploring the effects of real-world war on the individual, every issue of G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds features two chapters, each spotlighting a different G.I. JOE or COBRA character. Brooks pulls no punches from the very beginning, starting the series with chapters on MAJOR BLUDD and SPIRIT.

“This is the G.I. JOE book that isn’t about action figures. It’s about people like you and me,” said IDW G.I. JOE editor Andy Schmidt. “And that makes it even more chilling than any zombie novel could be, because this one isn’t about a plague–this one is about us.”Brooks‘s dark stories are masterfully brought to life by artists Howard Chaykin and Antonio Fuso, who will each also provide covers. In addition to the regular edition, IDW will be offering a limited number of signed editions.

An award-winning writer, Brooks has brought his own unique style to both TV and print, including as part of the writing team for “Saturday Night Live” for forty episodes from 2001 to 2003, which won an Emmy in 2002. Brooks‘s The Zombie Survival Guide was released in 2003 and has sold well over one million copies worldwide. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War followed in 2006, became an instant bestseller and is currently in development to be a major motion picture. Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, Brooks‘s most recent book, debuted at number one on the New York Times graphic novel bestseller list.

G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds #1 (of 5, $3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May. Diamond order code: MAR10 0998.G.I. JOE: Hearts & Minds #1 Signed Edition ($9.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in May. Diamond order code: MAR10 0999.